GEORGE WESTALL
POISONED BY WEEDKILLER A FATAL MISTAKE
The account of the Woodhay tragedy had scarcely been perused by readers of the "Newbury Weekly News" when intelligence was hinted of a yet another fatal and mournful event. On this occasion the parish of Donnington was the locality, and the misadventure being owing to the ignorance of the victim, who, it is alleged, was unable to read.
His name was George Westall, he was 56 years of age, and lived in Kennet-Court, his sudden death depriving his widow and a family of eight fatherless children of the breadwinner of the family. Deceased was a labourer, and had been employed by Mr. W. Gordon Fellowes, of Donnington Priory, since the previous Monday to lay a hedge at the bottom of the water meadow near the kitchen garden. At about ten minutes past two on Thursday Tom Prout met Westall coming down the meadow retching very much. On being asked what was the matter Westall said "0! Tom forgive me." Prout asked "What for?" and again Westall gasped "Forgive me." Afterwards he said he had been to the tool-house which was just outside the kitchen garden, and had drunk something out of a barrel, thinking it was beer. Knowing that the barrel contained weed-killer Prout shouted for some more men, and then went and fetched Mr. Fellowes and afterwards the doctor was sent for.
Mr Fellowes on coming to the deceased, and finding what had occurred, immediately sent to the house for some mustard and administered a strong dose mixed with water. The poor fellow was meanwhile writhing in intense agony. His throat was tickled with feathers, and other methods were resorted to, but all of them produced no effect. Deceased repeated to Mr. Fellowes that he was thirsty, and thinking it was beer from the barrel and had "three quilts". Though in great pain he continued to be conscious and exclaimed "Oh, my poor wife".
The doctor (Mr. Montague Palmer) arrived about three o'clock in Mr. Fellowes' carriage, which had been sent after the messenger. He found the man practically dying. He ordered his removal to the stable, where he made an examination. The deceased was pulse less and had spasms both of the arms and legs. He was in great pain in the stomach, which was washed out and injections made under the skin to keep the heart going. The medicinal antidotes for arsenic, which was in the weed-killer were tried, and electricity resorted to, but all proved to no avail, and the fellow died a little after three of collapse. Nothing could have saved him. About two or three grains of white arsenic would be sufficient to kill a man, but slowly.

At the inquest, which was held on Friday afternoon at the "Castle" Inn, Donnington, Dr. Palmer, in addition to his statement of the foregoing, urged that all weed-killers should have printed on their labels what they contained, so that doctors would know, if the necessity arise, what antidotes to use. It was only by a mere chance that he knew there was arsenic in the mixture. He had since looked through a book of some 2,000 pages but found no mention of weed-killer. The Coroner (Mr. J.C. Pinnegar) said that weed-killer had only come into use for about the last ten years. Both Mr. Fellowes and Tom Prout gave evidence, which tended to show that deceased could not read. He must have lain down and put the tap in his mouth. There were two mugs in the tool-house but neither of them showed any signs of any liquor having been put into them.
The Coroner, having summed up, a verdict was returned of death from misadventure, by accidentally drinking weed-killer in mistake for beer. The deceased leaves a wife and large family to mourn their loss.

Newbury weekly News 13 January 1898

George Westall bap at Hungerford 14 March 1841 son of William and Sarah or George Ernest Westall born Hungerford Oct Q 1842 ?